It Should Have Been Me
by Aegismaiden
Summary: Rizzo ponders why he should have been booted off of the team instead of Cox. He is reassured by his friend, Lisa, and is illuminated into more than just the reasons he stayed. Oneshot, part of a story that will never be finished. I own nothing. R&R!


The day Cox was taken off of the team, Rizzo came for his weekly massage feeling a bit down. As I placed my fingers on his shoulders, I could immediately feel the tension that had been building between his shoulder blades.

"It should have been me, Lisa," he sighed.

I rubbed a knot harder. "You had no say in it; it was nothing you did. Coach Brooks had to take someone off."

"Why Cox, though? I was positive it was me. I've been doing so poorly, Coach was sure to bust me."

I moved my hands closer up to his neck, pressing more with my fingers. I sighed. "Coach isn't always looking for skill, Mike."

"What is he looking for?" he exclaimed, but then stopped. "You wouldn't know that."

"I might have an inkling as to his reasons," I said slowly.

"Like what?"

"Mike, hockey isn't all about skill. Haven't you heard Coach go on about it? He says that chemistry is also important." Under my fingers, I felt Rizzo tense even more. "Now I'm not saying that Cox took away from the chemistry of the team. I'm just saying that he wanted you for the sake of the chemistry." My palms were moving their way up and down Rizzo's spine. "Have you seen the way that the guys react to you? You're their mentor, their leader. Take you away and the team falls apart."

Mike turned his head to look me in the eye and scoff. "I'm not that important." He turned back around and I resumed.

"You asked me what Coach is looking for. I don't know Coach's mind, but I do know you. You give courage to a team with your strength and ability to lead. You can create laughter when it is needed. You're quiet when you need to be. You're sympathetic. You listen to my problems."

I stopped rubbing. My mouth had seemed to run away with my thoughts and I felt my cheeks darken. I closed my eyes, praying that Mike would not notice. Then I felt him turn around. Opening my eyes, I saw him looking at me intently.

Slowly, he began. "Is that what you think _Coach_ _Brooks_ thinks, or what _you_ think?"

I prayed that my voice would remain calm as I searched for a decently witty response. "Does it matter?"

I barely caught his whisper: "You have no idea."

Pretending not to have noticed, I resumed once again, this time pressing harder not just to relieve his stress, but mine as well. He seemed to have perceived, for he asked the dreaded yet beloved question.

"Anything bothering you?"

I jerked stiff, my right hand slipping. "No, nothing at all."

"You know, Lisa, you're a pathetic liar."

Sighing, just rubbed harder.

Mike twisted in my grip. "Lisa, you can stop. I'm done. The knots in my shoulders will never come again if you keep rubbing and then our meetings will be ended. Sit down and tell me what's wrong."

In a very ungraceful manner, I flopped to the floor beside the bench that Rizzo was seated on. I thought of a way to tell him what I was truly thinking, and when none came, I tried to find a way to lie.

"Look," he said suddenly, breaking me out of my thoughts, "if it's about you liking me, you can just tell me."

My walls shot back up again as I looked Mike in the eye. "Rizzo," I said, "as smooth at you are on the ice; you aren't any good with the ladies. First rule of girls, never _ever_ tell them that a) you know they like you, or b) to tell you." I just realized what I had said. "Wait, I take that back."

Standing up abruptly, I made to walk out of the room. As I turned my back, however, Rizzo grabbed my hand.

"I told you to call me Mike," he said softly.

I tried to yank my hand out of his grip, but he held firm. Stupid hockey player strength. "Let me go."

"Not until you say it."

"All right, I like you, I like you, and I like you. I've liked you for weeks. Happy?"

Mike rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Actually, I meant to say Mike, but that'll do too."

I blushed for the second time in five minutes and turned to make a beat a hasty escape stage left. One problem: Mike still had my hand.

"Just because of that lovely revelation, you think I'm going to let you go?" he smirked.

"Rizzo," I said pointedly after five minutes of silence, "are you going to respond?"

Mike's eyes met mine slowly. "Maybe. I'm just waiting until I know whether reality's going to hit halfway through or not."

I smiled softly. "Should I pinch you?"

"Go ahead."

After pinching him, he still did not speak. Without thinking, I broke the silence again. "Mike, what's on your mind?"

"You. For a lot of different reasons. For crying out loud, you're OC's little sister! If you heard one sentence of what they say about you in the locker room when OC isn't around, you'd be scarred for life! What would the guys think of me if I took you?"

"Mike, Jack's my brother. Do you think he doesn't know what's on my mind? I tell him just about everything. You're his best friend! I don't see why he wouldn't approve of you."

Rizzo pulled me closer to him. "You really think so?"

"I know so."


End file.
